Recharging after a Fast

Most people are first exposed to fasting for religious or special dietary reasons. Done right with the proper knowledge and guidance, a fast can detox your body and break those unhealthy habits you’ve formed. The length of a fast can vary, but it is imperative that once you are done you take the proper amount of time necessary to reintroduce food back into your body.

What is a fast?

A fast is a reduced intake of food or withdrawal from the consumption of food for a set amount of time. In religious fasts, people fast for spiritual reasons. There are different types of fasts that are observed during specific times of the year. Within health, they are different diets that incorporate fasting. In health fasts, people have a diet regimen where some days they may eat, and other days they do not. This helps to change eating habits. After you recharge, you can begin eating smaller portions, break fast food habits and eat healthier foods.

My Fasting Experience

I was able to successfully complete a five-day fast with just water and lemon. For me, the first day was the easiest and the second day was the hardest. The last three days were fine and I kept myself occupied to not think about food. Now, the real kicker was what to do after I was done with the fast. Do I go back to my regular eating (since I eat healthy anyway)? Do I indulge because I missed five days’ worth of nutrition? Do I stick to liquid for a full day, then begin reintroducing whole food groups back into my days each consecutive day after that?

What I Decided To Do

I read many articles online as to how I should eat after I was done. One said it depends on your body, others referenced only drinking broth and majority referenced taking it slow. However, all of the articles emphasized how it depends on the length of the fast. The longer the fast, the time more you should spend on consumption of just liquids, vegetables and fruits to recharge. You want to be careful with this because you do not want to harm your system permanently.

How I Recharged After the Fast

I started off by making smoothies without any additives other than fruit and vegetables. I used carrot juice, bananas and strawberries because I wanted to see how my system would respond. I drank juice for most of the day and my system ran smoothly. My stomach hurt a little, but it went away. The next day, I started off with another smoothie then I had potatoes. These were diced potatoes that I cooked and they did not affect my stomach. Later on in the day, I had a handful of raw mixed nuts: pecans, almonds and cashews and then some spinach dip. After I ate these items and felt fine, I knew I was okay to continue eating how I would normally eat, but in smaller portions because I got full quicker. After day two I was okay to begin eating normally again.

Things to Be Mindful of When Fasting

Your bowel movements will disappear until you begin eating. However, this also depends on the individual. Some people may suffer from diarrhea after, if they consume things with a lot of salt and seasoning, and you may become gaseous. From my experience, I recommend recharging from a fast by incrementally getting back into eating different food groups depending on the length of the fast.